Moving to Berlin

by James Glazebrook

Practical advice about moving to Berlin is something we’re always asked for, but it’s a subject we’ve skirted around in the past. We’ve broken down subletting in Berlin and given forth about creative migration, expat culture and gentrification (phew!), but none of that will help you decide whether to move to Berlin, or how to go about it. It’s not that we’re trying to stop the place filling up with other expats (honest!), it’s just that – eight months in – we still feel like newbies in a lot of ways. Regardless, we thought we’d share what we’ve learnt so far.

The best resource we’ve come across is this comprehensive guide to moving to Berlin on the now-defunct Berlin Memory Blog. It was last updated two years ago, but most of it still applies – the city isn’t changing half as fast as some of its residents fear. Use it as your starting point and we’ll bring it up to date and fill in a few gaps here.

The first thing to note is that rent isn’t as cheap as it was two years ago, at least in the desirable areas. Apartments in Kreuzberg fetch more than 7€ a square metre these days (closer to 10€) and our beloved Graefekiez is now just as expensive than Bergmannkiez. However, neighbouring Neukölln is still cheap(ish), and becoming more and more attractive as hip young people move in and open up bars, cafes, shops etc.

While rents everywhere remain a fraction of those found in other European capitals like Paris and London, your initial outlay may be considerably more. When you decide to rent an apartment of your own, don’t be surprised if you’re stung with hefty agent fees (typically 2.38 months’ “cold rent”), as well as a month’s rent in advance and another month as a deposit. Costs like this are easily avoided by subletting or moving into a flatshare, which you probably will when you first arrive.

Cost of livinghasn’t increased much since the Memory Blog guide was last updated – at least for essentials like kebaps, beer and Berghain entry – but one of the costs that could catch you out is health insurance. What you pay depends on how much you earn and what level of cover you need, but we reckon premiums will come out at about 15% of your earnings (if you have a job here, your employer will contribute towards this). Health insurance is mandatory, and if it takes you a while to sort it out, may be backdated to when you first registered as a citizen. If you’re only going to be here a short while, don’t bother; even if you plan to stay here long term, you could save some money by taking your time to register (but you didn’t hear that from us!).

The taxsystem is fairly complicated here, and largely depends on what you declare your employment status to be, so we’ll just repeat what all the forum threads we’ve read say: get a tax advisor! But even if you pay a lot in taxes, you should be thankful to be earning at all. While unemployment in Germany is currently at a 20-year low of 7%, Berlin routinely records double that (and the rate is especially high among young people). Things are looking up, as the creative industry booms and startups establish themselves here, but the best (and perhaps most obvious) advice we can give is: bring work with you when you move here. We know expats who do the typical Berliner thing of holding down a bunch of casual jobs, and some who’ve blagged benefits, but the only way of guaranteeing a “comfortable” living is with some overseas contracts.

As for the German language, what you’ll never fully appreciate until you move is here is that you really don’t need to speak German to get by. Most people speak English, and, for the most part, they love the practice. Of course, refusing to learn any German rather defeats the point of living abroad (and makes you a Bad Person), but you will learn much faster once you are living here. What worked for us was a few very basic classes in London supplemented with some CDs, followed up by a course at the Deutsch Akademie in Berlin (very cheap, very intensive, some great teachers). We plan to do a tandem language exchange, and perhaps some private classes, but this was a good start.

One final piece of (not so practical) advice: JUST DO IT! We procrastinated for about five years waiting for the “perfect time” to make the move, before realising that there’s no such thing. If you love the city or are just sick of the place in which you currently live (or, like us, both), you have nothing to lose by moving to Berlin. Even if it doesn’t work out in the long term, the city is a great place to live even temporarily – and you can go home knowing that you tried something truly extraordinary. See you in the Kiez!

So…. we hope that’s some help. If you have questions, corrections or other helpful advice to share, feel free to comment below or contact us via email or Twitter. We’d love it if this blog became a place for people to ask questions, and get answers, about moving to – and living in – Berlin.

82 Responses to “Moving to Berlin”

James, thanks for the informative post. I am finally taking the courage to actually move to Berlin since I have heard so much good about it. I found a link that proved that moving to Berlin from Helsinki really makes sense for me. https://teleport.org/cities/berlin/moving-guide/ I have never been so sure about my decision. Berlin 2017 – here I come 😀

Hi there,
I have just moved to Berlin, and am searching for a job. When filling in the anmeldung, do they ask what you work at? Also, if I say unemployed/ looking for a job, how will that effect my tax bracket? I hope to find work over the next few weeks. A bit worried about this, all help appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Sj

Hi, I’m hoping you can give me some advice.
My son is a pilot with Easy Jet and is about to be based at Berlin Schönefeld Airport we have literally about 8 weeks until he arrive there and I’m at a loss where to start. I’ve researched many sights and the whole registration, health care, banks,Internet,finding a flat is terrifying I was going to fly out there and try to set it all up before he came but it looks like he needs to be registered living there first before you can even start doing all the other things.
Any advice on where to start and set up would be greatly appreciated as right now I’m a scared confused mum worrying like crazy. Thankyou.

Since then, we’ve got a better deal on insurance – and can connect you to our broker, a nice Irish chap who knows the German system inside and out. Let us know if you’d like that.

Oh, and you’re supposed to register within (I think) a month of moving there, but there aren’t any consequences for waiting a little longer until you’ve sorted everything else out.

What we did was sub-let for the first few months, to buy us time to find something more permanent, and get everything else in place. This is something worth considering – sub-letting someone else’s flat, or finding a flat-share so your son has a base to get set up from.

Hey James, sorry if I am a bit too late to ask questions, but I am 18 years old living in Aus with an Italian passport and seriously thinking of going to Berlin on my own to study there (as fees are near 0) and work the 20hrs a week the government allows you for a few years and survive of that plus savings, until I eventually start a company.

Have you got any advice regarding how much money I should save before going there completely on my own and if there is any ease to find jobs in, say, bars and such to survive with?

First, for the usual caveat: we aren’t experts by any means. When it comes to finding work, and moving to Berlin, we always recommend Expath.

In fact, Expath wrote a great article about finding jobs here in Berlin – maybe this can help you too. Generally speaking, it’s totally possible to find part time jobs in bars and such- there are plenty of “mini jobs” about. But you’ll need decent German to get any bar serving the public. Again, Expath can help with that – but maybe you’ll get this support as part of your studies anyway?

As for money, any savings you have will help, and the more the better. But you shouldn’t let a lack of savings stop you. We moved to Berlin with very little in the bank (saving money while living in London is impossible!), and we were able to keep our heads above water until we found work. Just do it!

Good question! Yes, we’re still in Berlin, but we’re not very close to the startup scene any more. I feel like if the tech industry had imploded, we would have heard about it – how’s that for a non-answer! If you have Twitter, maybe you could ask us @uberlinco – we’ll retweet that and maybe get you some more insight. 🙂

Jaja, sadly I don’t have a twitter account, but you’re still being helpful just by giving me an average opinion.

The thing is I’d also have to register at university, find a job and a flat, and I know absolutely no one there. Does the German Health insurance (pretty sure as a student I only have to pay 80 euro/month) cover you in case you get, say, utterly sick? I’d go right now if I could, but I haven’t even got a place to stay yet.

My husband and I rented a temporary flat, through AirBnB, while he looks for work and we apply for Visas. My question is, given the new laws governing temporary flats, are we totally hosed for being able to register the flat for applying for our Visas? This is a very new law and we didn’t realize the potential conflict until we signed the non-refundable contract. The owner has not responded to our request to register the flat.
Does anyone know of any workarounds with this?

Hi there! We never had to deal with visas, but when we registered in Germany, we just had to have an address – it didn’t matter what its status was, or how long we planned to be there. You’re registering yourself as living at that address, not the property itself. HOWEVER, we’re not experts – we recommend you speak to Expath, who are. http://www.expath.de/

Hey, really enjoyed this post. I’m super keen to make the move but like many others I’m worried about learning the language. Although it seems the best idea would be to learn whilst I’m there as it seems you can get by with basics! Another worry I have would be getting work, I’m a bartender and have been for a few years, would not being fluent in german hold me back finding jobs behind bars? Thanks,
Jonny

A bit late in moving, and I’m not sure if this blog is still going, but I’m looking to move in with my german girlfriend by the end of this year. I live in London, and work in film, have you come across many film and media people in your time there?

I’ve heard alot about the new tech startup scene, but not much in terms of my industry, sorry if I’m wasting your time with this question! Love the articles, a real help!

Hi Edward! I work in film. There’s a big German film industry and tons of movies and shows are being shot in Berlin. Obviously not of them in German. But I have a British friend who doesn’t speak German at all and still works all the time. There are quite a few international projects happening as well. Hope this helps, Vanessa

This is a very useful post! Moving to Berlin is a very complex event, especially when you are a foreigner. I always think of the fun part of moving abroad but in order to get to this fun part, I have to go through all the other stuff. Thanks for sharing!

Hey James,
Just came across your blog which was really helpful! I am finishing my final year in college (doing german and French) but still don’t feel confident with my spoken! I’ve decided to move from Ireland to Berlin on my own to do a language course for a few months and possibly stay long term. Would you recommend the Deutsch Akamedie course? Also, I’ll only be 21, will I be out of my depth there? I’m nervous I’ll be totally on my own haha 🙂

Thanks for getting in touch – we love hearing from people doing the smart thing and moving to Berlin 😉

First, I’d say don’t be nervous about being out of your depth. If you’ve been studying German already, you have a head start on a lot of the people who’ve just moved here. If you’re in a beginners’ class, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll speak better Deutsch than most of the others on that course.

Secondly, in terms of recommendations, Deutsch Akamedie is good, for sure. If you’re strapped for cash, the best option is a Volkshochschule, but they’re a bit of a lucky dip when it comes to the quality of teacher you get. For the last few years, we’ve went instead to Expath: http://www.expath.de/ Every teacher we’ve had there has been excellent, obsessed with language, and great at getting complicated ideas across.

Hey! So I just finished high school and want to start fresh in a new place and for some reason since a child Germany has always caught my attention, now that I’ve heard that Berlin is a very youthful place for foreigners, I wanted to know how much money I should take here from the U.S to get started over there 🙂

I’ve just bought a cute little puppy, as I know that you have a dog. Do you have any advice concerning things I need to think of. For instance paying tax for the dog is arranged just by going to the Finanzambt right? Thanks in advance. Love your blog.

Dog owner Haftpflichtversicherung (liability insurance) – more complicated to get, if this isn’t already included in whatever liability insurance you already have. Best to shop around and let us know if you need the contact details of an insurance broker. He’s a good man, and thorough.

While I agree that you don’t need German on a daily basis to live in Berlin, you do need it for anything official (registering – Anmeldung for example). I have lived here for seven years and found the first 6mths tough. Many was the time when I’d go to sort paperwork out and an emphatic ‘Nein’ was the answer to the question “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” Likewise, finding a flat isn’t easy without German, unless you come across English-speakers either as landlords or letting agents. That said, I’d advise anyone thinking about coming over to just do it — but the more German you know, the better

totally agree! german is a MUST if you’re seriously willing to relocate, not just to have holidays.

i arrived here with this sweet idea in my head that i don’t need german to live here and it was brutally forced on me when any problems started (loss of job, finding a real flat and not just an overpriced sublet with 6 other people, going to the doctor, etc). i am now on the course, 3 years after coming to berlin (well overdue) but comfort of life is unbelievably better!

so, if you are here for the summer raves – you’ll manage with just english, but if you really want to actually LIVE an adult life here – do your classes.

1 – I love Berlin for the nightlife; the ease with which you can get around by public transport and bike; the more relaxed pace of life (I moved from London); the ease with which I’ve made friends; the weather (don’t laugh – Berlin in summer sunshine is amazing!).

2 – Everyone is obliged to have health insurance which would cover them, but even if they didn’t have it, they’d not be turned away from emergency care. There are lots of options – both public and private – and is something a good broker can help with.

hi james, we’re moving to berlin, mitte or more likely a little further out, as soon as we sell the house. i produce abstract artwork, wall pieces, three-d, paintings etc and i need help locating a studio. options please. thanks in advance.

Thank you for all the useful information – I just moved to Berlin, arrived 3 days ago, i have been looking for a flat but i find it quite difficult, i tried with the agencies but I didn’t find them very helpful for the money they take, do you have any advice on the best way to find an apartment quickly ? i am looking to be in Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg (i heard they are the best and safest places ?)
Many thanks again
Meriem

Hi James. Thanks for this really helpful piece. When you say “bring some work with you” do you mean there are many ex pats based in Berlin (such as web developers) that work remotely? Could you expand on this a little? Thanks!

Hi James, that’s exactly what I mean. The developers that I know all work in businesses here in Berlin – if that’s your trade, you’ll find your skills in great demand. The people that I know who work remotely include journalists, other online writers, translators, graphic designers etc. Oh, and media analysts like me! I’ve no idea if there are more of us remote workers here in Berlin than anywhere else, but as there are limited job opportunities here, it makes sense to take work where you can get it – even if this means looking outside of the country.

Hi James
Great post, thanks a lot.
Hope you can give me some advice. At the moment I am self employed in Ireland with my fiancé. Together we have a gallery (mostly our own local photography), picture framing, fine art printing and portrait studio. Do you think there is an opening for such an enterprise in Berlin? And is it easy to start your own business there?
Have to get out of Ireland before we explode and Berlin looks like our kind of place.
Thanks in advance,
James

Hi James,
Thanks for reaching out! Off the top of my head, I don’t know about the opportunities for a printing and framing place here. I know they exist, but not what the demand is.
Ditto starting your own business.
In fact, I’ll ask our Twitter followers and see if they have any advice for you.
All the best,
James

Contrary to what is stated in the article, you will need to know German or have someone who does if you want to run a business here. Another minimal requirement is a tax advisor/preparer, as the German tax system is tricky.

This article is all too fitting given myself and my girlfiriend have decided in the last week to “just do it” and will be hitting the Deutsch capital in March. Whilst increadibly daunting, given both of us are leaving our comfortable careers in Melbourne, it is one of the ost exciting decisions of my life.

This blog will definitely come in handy for us over the next few months. Thanks for sharing!!

I am looking to move to Berlin, but I have little money so I have to look for something sort of a squad where I can pay very little and to study well, definitely too expensive for that German school but I am sure as I saw in the Netherlands some free or cheap Dutch school, I used to pay 20 euros for six month, although I didn’t finished due to my work schedule. Anyway if you can send me an email with this info if you have it of course, I really appreciate it, thanks, AJ

Hi, I am moving to berlin and currently working solid to save for the move at the beginning of 2014. (taking time out to concentrate on arts when i get there so in need of enough cash to keep me stable for a while). Can you give me any advice on good places to look for apartments?

Hi,
I am a 17 year old American and I would really like to move to Berlin, but I don’t know how to get started. I read in the article that unemployment is double for young people, but in America it isn’t that great either. I would be practically on my own. What should I do? (And I speak some German)

hey there id love to move to Berlin as soon as i get enough money together to live with my girlfriend, are there any websites you recomend for job searching?. also i dont speak a word of german at the moment will that kill all my chances of finding a job before i go ?.

Hi James,
What are your thoughts on renting houses as opposed to apartments? I’m moving to Berlin in January next year with my partner (who’s just got a job in Mariendorf), 3 year old son and dog! We stayed in Schoneberg a few weeks ago which was lovely, great parks, but it would be great to have access to a garden. Is it easy to get garden flats? Do you know of any areas where it might be easier to find them or a house? Or as soon as you hit areas which have houses does it suddenly turn boring?! Any advice appreciated!

Interesting – I’ve never been asked this question before!
I don’t know anyone who lives in a house here, or has their own garden (balconies are far more common), but some of our friends have access to a shared garden. The size and quality vary greatly, but we’ve been in one that was as big as a public park!
As for the broader question about houses, I’ll ask our community in our “ask überlin” post this weekend, and we’ll see if anyone can advise you further 🙂

I’m currently an ITU nurse in the UK. I’d love to move to Berlin as I think it would suit my creative life outside of work perfectly. My big concern is the language. I know you say that speaking English is acceptable for the most part and I’d be keen to some German too, but wondered what standard I would need to work in healthcare as communication is such a big part. Would there be language testing and are there any opportunities for English speakers? I don’t wish to be lazy but it seems like it could take ages to become fluent!!

I’m also reading that, much like everywhere, competition for jobs is high there at the moment. I wondered if that was true of nursing too? It’s so hard to know where to look for this information!

I’m a creative semi-professional who speaks no German and am qualified in Fashion & Music promotion who is looking to move to Berlin (Fell in love after a life changing 3 days). I am a British citizen and I was wondering if you had any tips of job agencies or creative job sites I could find to be able to live the Berlin dream? I’m not looking for anything extremely ambitious, entry level is totally fine but I can’t seem to find much online, any pointers? Or is Berlin more a city where you have to be living there already to make the right connections? =*

Hi Nicola,
How long’s a piece of string? 😉 We’d recommend moving with as much money as possible, but you can also survive on very little.
You’ll need at least a month’s rent (and maybe the same again as a deposit), and enough money to tide you over until you get a job.
Does that help at all?

Hi Nicola, My friend and I are both Irish and looking to move to Berlin in July. We are fine for the first month but will need a job after that, can you tell me where to start looking when we get over there? We only really speak a few German phrases so far! Will we even get employed anywhere? Thanks!

HI, I am USA citizen but the son on an IRISH Father imigrant. I understand I can can apply for dual citizen ship and get my Irish passport because of this and now since Eire is part of the common market move to Germany-Berlin. With my situation with relative being Irish citizen do I still need a sponsor? For I do not have nor know anybody in Germany. Just doing on my own with my savings. Any crucial advice respected. James.

Hi James
Thanks for the question. We’ve been trying to find out the answer, unsuccessfully, as yours is quite a unique position.
I’ve posted the question on our Facebook Page and will ask our Twitter followers, and will let you know as soon as I have a response.

Though I don’t actually know the answer to your question- I found the link to this page because I have a similar question- I’d note that you’re actually already Irish! All children born of a person born in Ireland are citizens already. Only as in my case, as the grandchild of an immigrant to the US, did I have to go through the process of registering my foreign birth.

No matter what, as I understand it, you will need an Irish passport which can be a lengthy process whose speed will depend in which consulate you apply. Good luck!

Hi James,
I worked for the German department of labor.
As an Irish citizen you do not need a visa or sponsor of any kind to move to Berlin since you are considered a citizen of an EU country.
You can legally work and live here.
Hope this helps and good luck on your journey.

Thanks for the comments peeps!
I guess German courses would be the next natural piece of advice we should share.
@William, while I agree that everyone should learn the language, my point was that not knowing the language shouldn’t be a barrier to moving here. Move over, then integrate, but do move!

great advise iv just moved to berlin the summer and dont have much confidence in speaking german (as im a little rubbish) so it hasnt really improved, if anybody has a review of the german corse that would be very helpful! thanks x

while it is true that one can get by in Berlin without knowing German, failure to learn it will not only be frowned upon by the Ausländerbehörde (not what you want it you are planning to live here indefinitely and need their help to do so), but also keeps you firmly in the English speaking ghetto.